Rich Walnut and Shiny Brass Bring This Manhattan Apartment Back to the Gilded Age

The age-old expression “the best things in life are free” probably wasn’t referring to family real estate, but for one New York City public school teacher, acquiring a mortgage-free apartment from her mother was the ultimate gift. Not only was she given the opportunity to move into a beautiful Flatiron District co-op building, but she was also able to reserve her savings for a complete overhaul of the abode.

The bar area features H-shaped fireclay tiles on the floor, subtly nodding to the client’s name, Heidi.

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“Not many public school teachers have the ability to renovate their entire apartment,” admits Quinton Kerns, the interior designer and BastionMade founder who was hired to transform the place. “She was, like, ‘I’m going to make this my dream home.’ She knew exactly what she wanted. She was really in love with the idea of Gilded Age travel, that aesthetic where everything is really maximalized with beautiful walnut and brass finishes.”

Quinton executed this distinctive look flawlessly, but he had to update the layout first. By knocking down a few walls, changing the entries to the bedroom, and building a new closet, he created an infinity loop within the unit. “There are no dead ends,” he says. “Every single room leads into the other.”